Original subtitles

Yay! It's finally over!

See you, Nagakura-sensei.

I'm beat.

Let's play shadow tag!

No way.

Why not?

What is it, Tsuru? Don't you want to go home?

Maybe I ought to quit. I'm small and not very strong. Plus, I'm a girl.

You're only weak because you haven't trained enough.

I know that!

I do. But still...

That story about the Shinsengumi really fired me up,

but didn't the Shinsengumi lose in the end?

Hey, Nagakura-sensei, how do you stay so strong and so sure of yourself?

Should one be ashamed of losing?

Huh? I mean, sure. Shouldn't you?

All right. I'll tell you.

About the man who went down with all the darkness of the Miburo on his shoulders.

June, Bunkyu 3 (1863)

Osaka

Who're those guys?

"Sincerity"? Some weird coats they've got there.

The smell of the sea really takes me back.

I've been down the river to Osaka with Granny and Iroha, you see.

Let's hit the red-light district later.

Women will swarm us again.

There sure are a lot of shops here.

We might make some lucky finds.

Let's find a good meal first.

Don't lose your heads.

Whoa, a horse. It's huge.

A horse? You can see horses anywhere.

Serizawa-san, where are you going?

We're not kids playing dress-up. Let me enjoy what little time off I get.

Wait, are we off-duty today?

The Shogun is on a boat to Edo, so our job guarding him is done.

Um, I only just noticed...

but we've lost Kondo-san.

Blue Miburo

Where could he have gone?

A cat?

There he is!

Kondo-san!

Nio.

Where'd all these cats come from?

What the...

I bumped into a cart full of dried bonito.

But anyway, look over there.

Yamadaya

He does seem suspicious.

I'm told "territory" is important even in the professional world.

They say not to wrestle in another man's ring.

But should we let borders stop us from helping people?

Well said, sir.

Good. Let's go.

Sir, do you have some business with that shop?

Please wait!

W-Wow.

Amazing! He moves like Soji!

I've lost him.

Where am I?

Who are you?

Roll!

I'll thank you to surrender.

Are you all right?

Best not to move right away.

Who are you?

We're the Mibu Roshigumi.

Oh, so you're the Miburo.

You know about us?

I've heard rumors.

I was in Kyoto until three days ago.

Did you come to Osaka for any special reason?

The place I was staking out belongs to my father.

My family does acupuncture, but I wanted to walk the path of the sword.

So I ran away from home.

But making my way by the sword wasn't easy.

I ended up living like a ronin.

Then I heard my folks had borrowed money from some shady characters,

so I came back to Osaka.

In that case, why not go home and question your family at once?

Do you feel like you can't show your face now after running away?

That's not the problem.

You guys had better stay out of this business.

I see.

We will simply send the debt collectors packing.

No, you don't get it.

Let's get going.

Neither do you.

I think these unreasonable debt collectors work for the constabulary.

A yoriki named Uchiyama Hikojiro must be pulling the strings.

A yoriki as in a police big shot?

I don't care. I'm a ronin anyway.

But the Mibu Roshigumi are under the Aizu domain's patronage, right?

What do you think, Nio?

We really can't let this go now.

There you have it.

Are all the Miburo like you?

See this?

Sincerity

This is our guiding principle.

Sincerity?

I didn't introduce myself.

My name is Yamazaki Susumu.

Kondo Isami.

I'm Chirinu Nio.

You listening to me?

What do you want?

Dad.

Susumu.

This your boy?

Forget him. What about the money we lent you?

I paid it back. I won't pay even one mon I don't owe.

Like father, like son!

Never heard of interest? If people could just refuse to pay up, we wouldn't need thief-takers.

Pardon me.

Save it.

Pardon me.

I said it can wait, you—

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

Wanna go? I'll throw you in a cell!

I don't know how much you want, but selling this should cover a chunk.

Will you leave it at that?

Huh?

It's a Kotetsu.

A K-Kotetsu?

The blade's a total wreck! And it's got no shine.

Must be a fake.

Keep it!

What would you have us do, then?!

D-Don't you badger me!

Ow, ow, ow! I give! I give!

You're weak.

Y-You'd better not think you'll get away with this.

Don't you know who's backing us?

Uchiyama Hikojiro, a yoriki of Osaka.

What? Who the hell are you guys?

What's with those weird coats?

Kondo Isami of the Mibu Roshigumi,

servants of the Lord of Aizu, protectors of Kyoto.

I'm his comrade, Chirinu Nio.

Kyoto? Miburo?

I don't know what you're doing here, but you'll be crying when this is over.

Dad.

Susumu.

For now, at least light a stick of incense for your mother.

Should... I come back later?

No need.

Oh.

Um, I hate to be rude, but why did you borrow money in the first place?

You don't look particularly hard up.

Some people who need acupuncture can't pay for it.

And some among those are too stubborn to have it done for free.

So I borrowed from a moneylender and paid for them.

That way, the client can save face by claiming they'll pay me back.

T-Talk about eccentric.

But I won't be doing that again.

I owe you for earlier.

Thanks.

Well then, we should be going.

That white-haired kid...

He saw the strain between us and smoothed things over.

He picks up on details about people. Color me interested.

That Kondo guy's a real character, too. He's got promise.

You'll miss your chance if you don't go now.

Don't you want to "walk the path of the sword"?

Yamazaki

Did Susumu run out on you again?

Yeah.

Talk about an ungrateful kid.

Must be rough, having that good-for-nothing as a son.

Yowch! Wh-What gives?

Yamazaki

Hey! Quit it!

He's walking!

Dear, he took his first steps!

Well, he was gonna start walking one of these days.

Good luck.

Go for it, son.

Man! This is some good sake, and the food's good, too.

No wonder they call Osaka the Supreme Kitchen!

It's all I could want. I think I like this place.

Hm? Where'd Taro go?

Taro! Hey, Taro!

Yes, sir. Right here.

What's this? Were you waiting outside?

Come drink with us.

Huh?

O-Oh, no, I couldn't possibly.

Oh, c'mon.

No, no, no. I'd be much more at home waiting on you.

What's that? You're stingy to the bone.

Is my sake not good enough for you?

No, I appreciate the thought, but—

Oh, that's right, Taro. We oughta give you spending money now and then.

Huh?

No, I can't take your money when I haven't done anything!

Come on. Where's the harm?

Get something tasty in you.

Th-Thank you very much.

Don't sweat it. Go on. Get.

E-Excuse me.

Thank you very much!

Hey, how much did you give him?

That'll only buy him one lousy manju!

Who cares? That's good enough for Taro.

Oh, Serizawa-sensei. Going to the privy?

Maybe I'll go, too.

What...

What was that for?

Yum.

Come to think of it, I haven't had this kind of free time since I got apprenticed.

So this is bliss.

I get anxious without somebody chewing me out or bossing me around!

What's happening to me? What is this feeling?

M-Maybe I'll head back.

My servile instincts have gotten really baked in.

Serizawa-sensei!

I'm s-so sorry. I meant to go right back, but I paused to look at the sea, and...

If you need anything, just say the word.

Follow me.

Swords

I don't want one that's too long.

It'll be heavier than he can use.

Got anything reasonably priced? He'll be afraid to break an expensive one and won't use it.

Huh?

Wh-What is this? What's going on?

Why isn't he saying anything?

D-Does he want me to use these things?

Y-Yikes. No, thank you.

This is freaking me out!

It looks bad if just one of us isn't armed.

If people stop taking us seriously, we're done for.

Wear those swords from now on.

Keep your head up.

Fight. That's all.

Come on.

To be honest, this is a pain.

I don't want to fight.

I hate pain.

I hate the thought of dying even more.

I'd rather hang back and keep my head down while everybody else fights.

But does this mean he respects me a little now?

Is he telling me to keep up the good work?

Serizawa-sensei.

I've gotta thank him.

I wonder what they'll say when they see me like this.

I'll give it my all! They won't outdo me!

S-Sorry. I wasn't looking...

Who's this smelly brat?

He stinks like a gutter.

Somebody killed a wrestler!

I hear a samurai from Kyoto did it!

Thinking back, I wonder when it started.

When did I stop seeing him horsing around with us?

When did I stop seeing him laugh from the heart?

Within him, and within the Miburo,

darkness was steadily closing in.

What the hell have you done?

I'd like your explanation before anything else.

Well, Serizawa-san?

It was nothing.

Taro, I hear you were there.

Explain.

Hey, say something.

What happened?

What the...

The other guy must have started it.

Yeah. He had it coming.

This is the place!

Come on out!

What's up?

Whoa.

Get down here!

You bumpkin samurai!

You killed our buddy!

We're here to settle the score!

Nobody messes with Osaka sumo!

Looks like we're surrounded.

What now?

L-Let's give 'em what they want!

B-Bring it on!

I suggest we cool our heads. We can talk this over—

I'll go.

Taro?!

When'd he get out there?

Who're you?

Um... I'm truly sorry.

It was my fault it got as bad as it did.

Shove it!

You got a death wish?

Stay out of this, brat!

A samurai wearing two swords,

letting some sumo wrestlers walk all over him?

The white coat guy!

He's the one who did in Sakichi!

Sure enough...

the world's gone to hell.

H-He sliced him open!

This is looking bad.

We'd better get out there.

What the hell is wrong with you?!

The cavalry's here!

Don't kill them! Don't draw your swords!

Easier said than done. They're not backing down.

Taro! Where are you? Say something!

S-Stop.

They'll kill us all.

I knew you were strong, but not this strong...

Serizawa!

Kindly stop this...

Serizawa-san.

Wild Brawl

Next time

On an Osaka night in the season of fresh leaves,

Serizawa's rampage causes much bloodshed and places the Miburo at a crossroads.

Should they hold true to the spirit of sincerity or favor loyalty to their comrades?

Forced to make a choice, Kondo sets out to see the commissioner with Nio.

Next time: "The Path of Humanity."

The Path of Humanity